How to Filter WVO For use ?

[indiana]

How does one prep/filter Waste Veggie oil to burn in thier car? Is there a economical way?................. Indy

[TwitchKitty]

FILTERBAG.com

No affiliation, have not ordered from them.
Got this recommendation at the MOFGA Common Ground Fair in Unity, ME. Always the third weekend after Labor Day.

http://www.mofga.org/fb01.html

If you search there are many threads here that cover this subject.

[JamesStein]

I can recommend filterbag.com. I've bought filters from them. I recommend the nylon filters. They are washable.

As for how to do it. Like anything homegrown you'll get a million different answers. I'll tell you how I do it.

I get my oil 2 ways. One in the 5gal jugs it came in from one place. The other I suck out of a 55gal drum I've placed behind the store.

When I filter I am always starting with a 5gal jug of oil.

First I let it settle for a few days, the I siphon off any water that collects at the bottem. (If you are starting the siphon by mouth, be carefull, the water sitting under the oil is nasty nasty nasty nasty ).

Then I filter it to 75 microns using a bag filter into a cleaned out 5gal jug (I don't clean it each time. Just cleaned after it had unfiltered oil in it). I typically filter 2.5 gallons at a time. Mostly cause you get tired of lifting a 5gal jug of oil. When the oil doesn't quickly pass through the bag I stop and let it drain, then wash the filter. Then I let it dry for a day or so. If I am in a hurry I whip out the hair dryer to dry the filter (low, carefull not to let it get too hot, it is nylon after all).

Then I filter into 2 different 5 micron bag filters into 2 more cleaned 5gal jugs (same deal, they aren't cleaned each time, but certainly are if they've had anything but 5mic filtered oil in them). I'll filter into these these jugs till they are full. Since I also use these as my fuel cans. When the filter stops flowing well I'll pull them out and use a new filter and clean the old ones.

I have 1 75micron bag filter and 10 5 micron filters. I can usually filter about 10 gallons of oil before I need to wash the filters. I realize I could probably get more use out of the filters if the system was pressurzied, but I don't feel like spending $600 on a peice for canisters for the filters. This way involves a little washing, but the cost was only in the filters themselves. So far I've filtered about 500 gallons through these filters and they aren't showing any signs of wear.

[Old300D]

I got a 7" sock 5 micron polyester filter from McMaster-Carr, cut the bottom out of a paint can, and hose clamped the filter in it. I lined it with another filter made from a T-shirt. With my cubee of oil 12" above the level of the paint can over a bucket, I siphon the oil through the filter. No heating, not much work. I change the T-shirt filter about every 40 gallons, and I've not needed to change the 5 micron yet. I've filtered 250-300 gallons since March of this year.

My oil sources are good, pure fryer oil, so no water ever gets in it. I still run a water separating filter in the car. I filter it colder than I run it in the car, and then I don't need to change filters in the car.

[kip Foss]

I use 2 plastic 55gal. drums. I cut a 7" hole in the top of one and made a steel ring mounted on a flange. Bolt the ring on the hole and drop in a 16" long 25 mic. bag filter (about $3. each). The 7" ring on the filter rests on the top of the flange and keeps it from falling into the drum. Pour in 5 gals. of wvo. When the filter is new it just goes right in. As the filter plugs it will take longer and longer.

Make the same type arrangement in the other barrel. Install a 16" bag filter of 5 or 10 mic. filtration. With a drum pump, hand or electric, pump the 25 mic. filtered wvo into the other drum through the 10 mic. filter. If the drum pump gets hard to turn after 10 gals. or so you need to clean the strainer. It is located under the pump where it attaches to the suction pipe. It is amazing how much crud collects here even though the wvo has been through a 25 mic filter. If the connection to the suction pipe is square and is held together by 4 bolts then there is probably a strainer between the flanges. If it is just a screw connection then there probably isn't a strainer.

When the 25 mic. filter starts holding liquid wvo then it is time to clean it. I pull it out, turn it in side out (this is the messy part), scrape the solid fat off into the trash (hide it from the animals-they love the fat), rinse it is gasoline or some such thinner, and put it back in the tank. I don't think that one needs to wash it in soap and water. At $3 a filter you might want to just throw away the filter.

Set this system up where you can either clean the area or where it doesn't matter about the mess, because there will be a mess. Don't store the fuel outside. The sun will cause fungus to grow in it.

For the relatively small amount of fuel that you will use I would not recommend using a pressure system. These systems get complicated and costly. I live in S. Texas so I don't worry about the wvo gelling. In colder climates, from what I've read, there there is a very involved process using caustic, etc. I don't know how costly Diesel will have to become before I would consider this process. Fortunately here the process is dead simple.

I use wvo in my generator, tractor, my son's Diesel 115/300D and my Diesel pu truck. So far I have had no problems.

[angst]

If you are like me and only do it on occasion when time permits I would reccomend doing like kip floss's set up but on a smalle scale. greasel.com is a good place to get a filter sock. They are about $11 after shipping. Get the short one. Cut a hole in the bottom of a 5 gal bucket, put it upside down, and hang the sock through. Have another 5 gal bucket underneath to catch the filtered oil. Also have something to stabailze the rig. Rig up a faucet or valve of some sort in your bottom bucket so you can hook up a hose instead of having to pour the filtered oil out of it into something that can get it into your car.
Some will reccomend a water trap in your car. I do not have one and have had no negative experience but I only do it on occasion.
Store your filter sock somewhere where the critters can not get to it. I had to get a new one cuz rats or something ate into it.

[Kestas]

So you guys use it straight after filtering it? I've been reading the biodiesel forum and I was convinced that it needs to be treated with methoxide or else it won't work. I notice most of you live in warm climates. How cold does it have to get before you start running into problems?

[jprocess]

Biodiesel is WVO (waste veggie oil) treated with chemicals. WVO is just straight veggie goodness. That's what they're talking about...

[R Leo]

After the sock filters like Kip and everyone, I go one more step. I pump through a GoldenRod water separator filter as it goes into the vehicle tank.

I've run straight WVO before and probably will when I have my fuel heaters up and running but I'm currently mixing my WVO with B100 for a final concentration of about 80% WVO/20% B100.

I'm in central Texas and the temps are mild so far. I'm mildly concerned about the viscosity increasing pumping pressures in the IP and ultimately altering the timing. Soon I'll have a couple of heaters installed in the fuel lines for each car and will be running the oil to the IP at approximately 140°F.

FWIW, I run crude cloud point tests in each batch I filter using baby bottles filled with the approximate mixture I have in the vehicle tank. I put one in the refrigerator and one outside. The fridge test is pretty viscous at 45°F and about the consistency of a milk shake at 38°. The bottles in the ambient air range in viscosity from what you'd expect cooking oil to be all the way to a diesel-like thinness when sitting in the sun during the afternoon (+85°F).

[marcschatz]

I;m still experimenting, but my system consists of just a couple of buckets and some filter cones from the restaurant supply store. The cones filter down to 35 microns. I've been doing a simple blend straight to the tank. 10 gallons diesel or B20 and then 5 gallons WVO.
I'm probably flirting with disaster, but I think the screen in the tank and the 2 fuel filters should be OK. I am planning on installing a Racor or Davie filter/water seperator/heater in the near future.

[angst]

Kestas, the indirect injection mercedes are pretty rugged and can stand up to a lot of fuel abuse. Even in warm climates more than 20-25 percent filtered waste oil into the tank isnt reccomended without heating the fuel. I do know people that have been using 70%waste oil all summer in an unmodified car for several years with no problems though. The limiting factor is that it is hard on your injector pump. In cold enough weather the stuff could go solid in your fuel lines too. The main concern is your pump cuz that is big bucks if you screw it up. Mixing waste oil with about 10% gasolene to get the right viscosity is the cool new experimentation going on in the WVO message group lately. Check it out at http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x?a=frm&s=447609751&f=159605551

Eric Z
Chatt TN
79 300sd occasional straight into the tank wvo user.

[Smooooth]

From one of my posts over at greasecar.com
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I'm getting the hang of this!!!!!!!!!!!

So far this has been a great adventure and I feel that I need to write up some of my experiences.

To clarify things - I don't have my Greasecar Kit yet - But I am trying to get a little ahead of the game regarding collecting and pre-filtering WVO.

I've been more of a reader than a poster - feeling that up till now I did not have much to share. Thanks go out to cgoodwin, justgreasenofries, phil, indagrease, and many others for their wonderful posts.

Collecting WVO - I got lucky!!!! My local pizza shop uses 100% Soybean oil - changed about every 5 days - and puts the WVO into the cubies for me. Great for transportation - no dumpster diving - and I promised to mention the pizza shop on the car, and in the news, once the car is converted. I get between 15 - 20 gallons per week - clean - no grungies - I get to leave those behind. Currently the 87 MB 300SDL uses about 20 gallons every two weeks - so we're getting ahead of the game.

Pre-filtering - Day 1 - What a joke!!!!!! OK, So I empty the cubies into a 5 gallon container the has a valve spigot on it. Set this container up on my workbench. Below it on the floor is another 5 gallon container with a big funnel stuck in the top. I then used spring clips to hold multiple layers of cheesecloth in the funnel and started the 'Drizzle" process. Let's just say the this took ALOT of time and I was able to filter 20 gallons in 4 days. It's not as bad as it sounds - basically one batch per evening.

Back to the Internet - There's got to be a better way - And there was.

Pre-filtering - Round 2 - Can you say 20 gallons in 20 minutes!!!!!!!!
This time I used the following setup. This requires (3) 5 gallon pails, window screen, cheesecloth, 2x4's, and some modifications. First - Cut the entire bottom out of one of the pails(this will be the top pail). Then take the second pail and drill a 3" hole in the bottom center. Now - here comes the tricky part - shaping the bottom into a gentle cone. Here's what I did.... (I've got a photo if needed) I ran a large bolt with a washer on it through the narrow opening of a funnel, with the washer on the inside of the funnel and the treads sticking out. I then inserted the funnel into the second pail - large part of funnel on the inside of the pail - narrow portion sticking out the bottom. Now invert this combination and hang everything, using extra nuts, ty-raps, wire, etc.. from a location like a doorframe. The pail is inverted, and the funnel is holding it in place. From the wire handle of the pail - which is now hanging towards the floor, hang a bucket of water. This will create a constant downforce to the inverted pail. Now - fire up a propane torch and HEAT the bottom of the inverted pail. Over time - the bottom of the inverted pail will start to take shape.........

What I used for a pre-filter media is as follows. Between the pail with no bottom and the cone shaped pail - I sandwich 3 layes of window screen, each layer rotated about 30 degrees, then a double layer of cheesecloth, and the the last layer of window screen. What I do is take the pail with no bottom, turn it upside down, lay on the 3 layers of screen, then the cheesecloth and last layer of screen - THEN press on the cone shape pail. One big filter funnel........... I set these on top of another (3rd) pail supported by 2x4's. Pour in the WVO - watch it run through the filter into the bottom pail - and then take the bottom pail over the the settling tank. Quick and simple.

I am using the elevated 55 gallon plastic drum with 2 'Through Hull' connections and valves for my settling tank. I have 5 more barrels ready and waiting for bulk storage. And I to must get this process ready to relocate into the basement for winter - Did I mention I am in Central New York!!!! I think winter starts next weekend =8^)

As of last night I have my first full 55 gallon drum which will now settle for at least a week.
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Some photos are available at www.qsl.net/wa2fdu/wvo

Stephen

[Smooooth]

First Attempt at Photos

[Smooooth]

Another tid-bit of information I posted at greasecar.com

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Greetings All..........

As you may be aware - I have been doing the gravity fed cold filtering process. The first 30 gallons or so went fine. As I got down to the last 10-15 gallons in the barrel I realized the the speed of the filtering had decreased. My theory is that there is less oil in the barrel - thus there is less pressure, via gravity, to help push the oil through the filter.

Solution!!!!!

I took one of the bung hole screw caps and installed a truck tire valve stem. A bicycle tire pump - about 10-12 pumps of air - and we have increased the flow slightly. I am purposefully NOT overpressurizing the barrel - Just giving it a little bit of help.

Just a little bit of FYI.

From the Shed,
Stephen

[odie]

I like gravity filtering. Makes no sence to use electricity. that starts to negate the economical incentive to go Veggie.

What kind of filter are you using from the 55 gal barrel? Is it just a generic house water filter? What micron rating are the filters? It sounds like gravity is pushing the WVO thru the house filter without much problems. How many gallons can the house filter handle before replacement?